Diane Shawcroft and Jennifer Lueth
Real Names: Diane Lynne Shawcroft and Jennifer Sue Lueth Nicknames: Didi (Diane); Jenny (Jennifer) Location: Phoenix, Arizona Date: May 24, 1996 Case Details: In 1996, twenty-year-old Diane Shawcroft and her best friend, nineteen-year-old Jennifer Lueth, left their homes in Colorado and moved in with Diane's older sister, Kristina, in Glendale, Arizona. The three shared a small apartment and often got on each other's nerves. On May 24, after an argument with Kristina, they left for a mini-mart a few blocks from their home. They didn't take anything with them, so Kristina assumed that they would be back soon. At around 7PM, Diane and Jennifer arrived at the mini-mart. The cashier said that they bought cigarettes and soda. Instead of leaving, they lingered around on a bench outside for two hours. Then, an unidentified man in a blue pickup truck drove up and began talking with them. After doing so for a few minutes, they got into the truck and mysteriously vanished. Their families believe that they knew the driver. Three months later, two hunters in a remote desert 100 miles north of Phoenix came upon Diane and Jennifer's bodies. They had both been murdered, but the cause of death could not be revealed due to the ongoing investigation. The area is extremely isolated, about sixteen miles from the nearest highway. Police began looking into their personal lives to see if they may have crossed paths with their killer. While in Phoenix, they attended numerous parties and nightclubs. It is possible that they met their killer at one of them. However, no solid suspects have been identified. Soon after Diane and Jennifer's bodies were found, their parents made a shrine, placing two crosses and pictures of them on that spot. After that, police put the area under occasional surveillance. Four years later, on September 29, 2000, police found that the pictures had been removed from their frames. Police believe the killer might have stolen them because the location was not released to the public. Despite this, the killer has never been identified. Suspects: Police believe that the killer was very familiar with the area where Diane and Jennifer's bodies were found. It was extremely isolated and only accessible with the help of a pickup truck or four wheel drive. They suspect that the killer had personal knowledge of the area and may have hunted or camped there. Jennifer's father, Robert, believes that the killer might have not acted alone, and that an accomplice was involved. Police would also want to question the unidentified man in the blue pickup truck. It is believed that Diane and Jennifer knew him. According to the cashier, it appeared he was friends with them. He has never been identified. At the time, he was thirty-one to thirty-three years old, with dirty blond or brown hair and a week's growth of facial hair. He had scratches on his right arm and was wearing a greasy denim jacket. The truck was described as an early 1980s Chevy with tinted windows, chrome bumpers, a broken taillight, several body dents, and badly faded paint. Extra Notes: This case first aired on the August 29, 2002 episode. It was also profiled on Haunting Evidence. Some sources spell Diane's name as "Diana". Results: Unsolved. In 2010, new analysis was done on a strand of hair and fibers collected from the crime scene. Investigators are hoping that the evidence will help identify the killer. Sadly, Robert passed away in 2014. Diane's mother, Kathy, passed away in 1997. Links: * Diane Shawcroft and Jennifer Lueth on Unsolved.com * Diane Shawcroft and Jennifer Lueth on Glendale Cold Case Information * Disappearance of two Glendale women baffles police, families * Disappearance of 2 women baffles families, pals, police * (1996 Arizona Republic Article) Somebody stole my baby * Reward offered for information in the murders of Jennifer and Diane * Convenience store visit in '96 was fatal * Grant to help Glendale PD revive cases gone cold * Were Two Best Friends Victims of a Serial Killer? * Jennifer Lueth and Diane Shawcroft on Find a Grave ---- Category:Arizona Category:1996 Category:Murder Category:Abduction Category:Disappearances Category:Unsolved